Prepare Your Home for Winter

By IKO. 

Winter is coming! Here is how to make sure your home is taken care of during the chillier seasons.  

Like it or not winter is fast approaching. As the days get shorter and the temperatures drop, it is important to know how to properly maintain your properties throughout the winter so you can avoid damage. Here is a quick crash course of maintenance tips from IKO to help you feel positive that your home will be well cared for throughout the winter season. 

Outdoor winter property maintenance tips 

Once the snow flies, it may seem like there’s not much to do outdoors, but we beg to differ! Here are some exterior home maintenance tips to keep in mind this winter. 

Avoid ice dams 

Icicles hanging from eaves may give off a bit of a winter wonderland feeling, but they indicate a relatively serious problem: ice dams. An ice dam is a thick ridge of solid ice that can develop along the edge of a roof near the eaves. 

Preventing and removing ice dams is the most important winter roof maintenance tip we can offer both new and existing homeowners. We recommend staying on top of ice dams because they can cause significant damage if left unchecked. 

Ice dams can loosen shingles, wreak havoc on the gutter system and even cause water to back up through roof shingles into the attic. As a result, a homeowner may end up with soggy insulation (a breeding ground for mold) and sagging ceilings. 

Ice dams can also cause water to back up into the home, which can cause damage to insulation, and walls, and even make its way into the basement where it could damage a home’s foundation. 

Weatherproof exterior pipes 

In terms of exterior pipes that service outdoor areas, simply have the water blown out and valves shut prior to extended frost. But, when exposed exterior pipes need to be used all year long, it is important to insulate them. Otherwise, the water can freeze, expand, and result in a burst pipe. Which, in turn, can cause flooding in the home and on the property. 

This is a home maintenance tip that you will want to tend to early in the winter. Be sure to insulate not only outdoor pipes, but any exposed pipes indoors that are located in an unheated space. This might include pipes near exterior walls and pipes in the garage, basement or attic.  

Remove window screens 

The benefits of removing the window screens in the winter are twofold: it may help to lower energy bills and protect your windows from winter storms. 

Removing the window screens as part of a winter maintenance checklist will allow more solar heat into the home during those cold months, which helps to offset heating bills. 

As mentioned above, removing window screens as part of a winter maintenance checklist also helps protect the windows and the screens themselves. Alternatively, snow and ice can get caught between a screen and a window which can lead to rotting window frames or sills. It can also damage the screen itself since they are not built to support the weight of heavy snow or ice. 

Keep snow away from major home utilities and external vent pipes 

Aside from the general home maintenance that all residents of colder climates are accustomed to (shoveling and/or running your snowblower regularly), IKO suggests keeping snow away from the major exterior utilities of a home, like the gas meter, as an important home maintenance tip. 

Avoid using a snowblower or a plow near the gas meter and never let significant amounts of snow or ice accumulate on the meter itself. Doing so will place undue stress on meter pipes, which can potentially lead to a gas leak. 

Every gas meter also has a pressure relief vent, which should be kept clear of snow to operate sufficiently. Keeping a pathway shoveled to the gas meter will also ensure that a utility company can access it in the case of an emergency. 

Place a cover on top of the air conditioning unit and keep the snow shoveled away from its perimeter to help keep it protected from any damage, like falling tree limbs or icicles. With that said, boxing it in completely is not advisable as it will become a welcome haven for rodents and may result in mold or mildew. 

In addition to including the gas meter and central air conditioner on a winter maintenance checklist, it is important to keep snow and ice shoveled back from any external vent pipes, like a dryer, water heater, furnace, or fireplace.  

Indoor winter maintenance tips 

Keeping up with interior maintenance is equally as important as exterior maintenance in the winter, both for safety’s sake as well as air quality. These are our top indoor home maintenance tips. 

Winter HVAC maintenance 

It is essential to have the HVAC unit serviced by a professional regularly (we recommend twice a year, at minimum), but there are also a few winter furnace maintenance items that a homeowner can do. 

With the temperature drop, most homeowners tend to close their windows for the winter months, which means that air quality should be top of mind. 

To ensure the best air quality, swap out the furnace filter every few months and check it once a month during the winter. This is particularly important for pet owners as the furnace filter will likely need to be replaced more frequently than in a pet-free home. 

Not only will checking and replacing the filter more frequently ensure the best air quality in the home, but it will keep the energy bills lower as well. A clogged-up filter will cause the furnace to work harder than it needs to, which will increase energy bills. 

While you replace the furnace filter,check and clean air vents as needed, and be sure that the thermostat has full batteries and is operating properly. 

Bleed the radiators 

Bleeding the radiators (if you have them) is a home maintenance task that may need to be completed more than once throughout the winter. Doing so will help to keep the heat consistent throughout the home. 

You may need to bleed the radiators if one feels colder than the rest or if you hear the radiators gurgling or pipes banging. This means that there is likely a pocket of air trapped inside that is preventing the hot water from flowing throughout the system. 

It is a relatively easy process. All a homeowner needs is a radiator bleed key, a cloth (to catch any leaking water) and a container to place under the radiator as you bleed it. 

First, crank the heat so it is easier to find which radiators need bleeding (i.e., which ones have cold spots). Once you have identified which ones you need to bleed, turn the heating system off and allow it to cool. 

If you need to bleed more than one radiator, start with the one that is furthest away from the boiler. Locate the bleed valve, place the towel or container underneath the radiator and insert the bleed key. 

Turn the key counterclockwise and listen for a hissing sound. Once that stops, turn the key back and move on to the next one! The final step is to check the boiler pressure and then turn the central heating system back on. 

Winterize the entryway 

While this may seem like a simple piece of advice, it’s an important one to remember around the house! Salt, dirt, and debris are mainstays of any North American winter, and while the winter boots may have to suffer, the entryway certainly doesn’t! 

If you have any renovation plans on the horizon, be sure to suggest to the contractor that waterproof flooring is a MUST in an entryway. But, if you don’t plan on any major renovations any time soon, be sure to protect the entryway flooring with a sizeable welcome mat to collect all that dirt and debris. 

Winter coats and boots also take up a lot more space than those summer sandals you have stashed away for the season. Consider installing a few more coat hooks or some additional storage to ensure the entryway remains organized and welcoming rather than overcrowded. 

Clean the dryer vents 

Cleaning dryer vents as part of a winter home maintenance checklist will ensure the safety of the home and family. Unfortunately, dryers are responsible for a significant number of house fires in North America each year and are easily avoidable. Since lint is quite flammable, a single dryer spark near a clogged dryer vent can spread and get out of control rather quickly. 

Cleaning dryer vents will also ensure that you do not trap or block poisonous gases like carbon monoxide in the home, and it will help to keep the energy bills down. 

Maintain healthy humidity levels 

Dry air is one of the most painstaking issues in the depths of the winter months. Whenever you look over the winter home maintenance checklist, remember to check humidity levels to avoid dry skin or other issues, like irritated sinuses or throats. Not only are these issues frustrating and uncomfortable, but they can increase your chances of getting sick, experiencing allergies, getting bloody noses, or even triggering asthma. 

Ideally, the humidity levels in the home should sit around 30% to 40% in the winter but maintaining these levels will depend on the temperature outside of the home as it will naturally fluctuate as exterior temperatures and humidity levels fluctuate. 

There are a few ways to boost a home’s humidity aside from keeping a humidifier running at all hours of the day. For example, keeping the bathroom door open while you shower or air-drying clothes will help boost humidity levels. 

Houseplants also help maintain air quality and release moisture into the air. You can also refer to our fall maintenance checklist, where we suggest checking and resealing any doors or windows to help keep that cold, dry winter air outside. 

Keep the home in peak condition with this winter maintenance checklist 

Winter may bring along some harsh conditions, but with IKO’s Winter Home Maintenance Checklist, you can rest easy knowing that you have done everything you need to do to stay safe and warm all season long. 

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Original article source: IKO